A partnership with Team New Zealand
Over the past few years, the Danish firm Lego, well known for its brick games, has developed a range dedicated to adults who have grown up a little too fast. Featuring well-known franchises such as Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Disney and iconic sports car models.
In partnership with the Emirates Team New Zealand syndicate, Lego has developed a representation of the AC 75 Taihoro, based on the characteristics and graphics of the defender of the next America's Cup.
A model with many specific features
The replica is approximately 56 cm long and 33 cm wide, with an air draft of 68 cm. Comprising 962 parts, it features the main technical elements of the sailing version: foils, carrying rudder, mast and sets of sails in the sponsors' colors.
What's more, complex machinery is used to raise the foils and trim the sails, just as in the real life of the Cup sailors. Numerous technical details have been incorporated, such as mast rotation, slotted mainsail, headsail track and spreaders. A manually-loaded hydraulic system tilts and lifts the bearing surfaces.
Pleasant to look at, but unable to go on the water
It goes without saying that this version cannot be sailed, or even used by a child in the bath. This is a purely decorative model, which can also be used to appreciate the various stages of construction.
This is the first time that Lego has produced such an exact replica of a racing yacht. A model based on the characteristics of Sam Davis' IMOCA yacht was launched in 2020, but the search for detail had not been so thorough.
For aficionados of other Cup syndicates, you'll have to bite the bullet and accept Team New Zealand's colors at home. The Danish manufacturer has no plans for a version sporting the livery of other teams.
Available from August 1, 2024 at ?119.99
